The April Swim

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The April Swim

“Hello honey, the sign-ups for the specialized swim meets are over there,” said

the middle-aged soccer-mom volunteering at the swim meet sign-up counter. You could

tell she was a soccer-mom by her pin that had a soccer ball on it with the word TIGERS

on. April remembered the old soccer team she used to play on was the Trueville TIGERS,

but that was before.

April gathered her mind and answered, “I know.” With neat handwriting she

signed her name on the swim meet sign-up sheet. On the top of the sheet it said the two

mile lake swim.

“Are you sure you can swim with your condition?” the soccer-mom asked looking

at April’s wheelchair.

April looked at her with a cold stare and replied, “Yes, I’ve practiced and won

first place at my school’s annual swim race.” Slowly, April pushed away from the sign-

up table. She started to feel her eyes midst up. Suddenly, she could feel the pain she

endured on the day she became paralyzed. The whole memory stood fresh in April’s

mind.

• * * * * * * *

Six years ago, when April was only seven years old, she lost the ability to walk.

It started out as any normal day for April. After school she waited on the sidewalk

outside her house for her mom to bring her to soccer practice. Young April watched her

neighbors come and go. “It’s past four thirty,” April thought, “practice is going to start

soon. Mom was never this late.” The time went by slowly and after fifteen minutes April

decided to cross the street to see her neighbor Skyler. As she started to walk she heard a

faint noise, but she kept moving. Suddenly, when the noise seemed to be only a few feet

away, she heard a loud “Boom!” Her confused brain registered her flying through the air

and noticed her mom’s friend’s car. April was unconscious. The only thing April recalled

of that accident was the pain and her mom yelling for help.

The ambulance came, its siren yelled like a little girl having a tantrum. Slowly,

yet in haste, April was placed inside the screaming ambulance ready to take her to the

hospital she was born in. As April laid in a coma her mom almost unwillingly got in the

vehicle. “It’s all my fault,” April’s mom repeatedly cried. It was as if a giant boulder was

placed on her mom’s shoulders. The accident replayed in her mom’s mind like a broken

record-player.

Finally April was taken to a room in the hospital. It was as white and isolating as

Antarctica. The room was quite and unwelcoming. April’s mother sobbed gently until the

doctor came in. “Ms. Morgan,” the doctor calmly said. “I’m afraid there is bad news.”

Ms. Morgan sighed with a melancholy feeling. “April’s spine was broken during the

crash,” he said while looking at April sleeping.

“Oh no,” April’s mother nearly screamed. When she calmed down she asked, “Is

she paralyzed?”

“I’m afraid so, but she is only a paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down. April

will be in here for a few weeks,” the doctor replied with great regret. A silent pause

disrupted the unfortunate conversation. The doctor slowly left the room without a word.

A few days went by before April woke up. Her mom gently said, “Are you

awake honey?”

April nodded and noticed the fine lines on her mother’s face. She whispered, “It

wasn’t your fault mom, don’t worry.”

• * * * * * * *

The announcer bellowed, “All swimmers get to your place. The official two mile

lake swim will begin in ten minutes.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” April said with doubt.

“Don’t worry, you are amazing. Good luck hon,” April’s mother said as she

waved goodbye. Her mom looked at April with great hope and pleasure.

Someone guided April towards the lake. She noticed how long it was and asked

herself if she could swim two miles. Once April was lowered into the lake she had no

doubt that she could swim the two miles.

“On your mark, get set, go,” yelled the announcer’s voice.

Before April knew it she was ahead of all the swimmers. She energetically

paddled her body with only her arms. Pacing each movement, April felt as if she was

one with the water. For April swimming was like playing the drums; she could hear the

thump of the swimmers’ strokes. For a brief moment April tried to move her feet but she

could not. No matter how hard she tried, she could only move her upper body. Luckily

her upper body was strong enough to pull her through the water. Each stroke made April

feel like she was flying. Quickly she made her way beyond the rest.

After a mile and a half, April started to get tired and fell back to second place.

Even her lead didn’t stop her from falling back to second. She kept thinking, “I’m almost

there,” until finally she could see the end. With all of her energy, she pulled and pulled

the end came closer and closer. This was her moment as she moved back to first place.

Suddenly, a loud splash and screech distracted April. Quickly she looked back

and saw the swimmer behind her drowning. The lifeguard was nowhere in sight, which

was surprising. April thought, I could either help him or continue on and win. At first,

April kept swimming but then suddenly, she turned sharply surprising everyone. April

swam as fast as she could to reach the boy behind her. In order to save him, she dove

down and put the drowning swimmer on her back while slowly swimming to shore.

Immediately, April noticed two swimmers already on land. As she crossed the finish line

she tied for third with her drowning opponent. April struggled to put the boy on the shore

but with the help of a few viewers she got out. Her eyes darted all over the place to find

her mom until she found her waving.

Ms. Morgan came running to her side, “Are you ok, April?”

“Yes, but he isn’t,” April pointed to the kid. April’s mom went to get help.

After a few minutes Ms. Morgan brought over a nurse who had come to watch the race.

Quickly the nurse did CPR waiting for a response. In a few seconds the opponent started

to breathe.

Soon after, the ambulance arrived and the boy was placed on a gurney. As he was

being wheeled away he said weakly, “Thanks. You’re not like the rest, but I’m happy

you are different. By the way my name is Connor.”

“Mine is April.”

“Well, thanks again, April.”

April gently blushed and played with her brown hair. One of the operating men

told the two kids to hurry up so April urged him to hurry to the ambulance. “Get well

soon,” April said loudly in her wheelchair. The ambulance got smaller until you couldn’t

see or hear anything. Slowly she pushed herself forward with her bronze medal around

her neck and a smile on her face.